What is sin?

What is sin? 

It is simply going against the will of God. Sadly, modern society has ceased to understand this. Since the time of creation God has taught us right and wrong. But today people have blurred the line between those two very distinct positions. Many feel that because everyone else does a certain thing then it is no longer wrong, and therefore it is not a sin. With the passage of time certain actions have ceased to be seen as wrong and so the concept of sin has been very much diluted.

If something was wrong years ago, it is still wrong today. 

For example, if you phone your boss and pretend you are ill in order to take a day off work, this is stealing. The fact that other people do it too does not lessen the fact that it is stealing.

If you listen or partake in gossip about someone, it is stealing his good name and reputation. It is in effect taking something away from him and causing him harm.

Sin is a deliberate behaviour to act against the will of God.

Can sin be forgiven? Of course it can, but to do so the individual must recognise that he has sinned, confess that sin and genuinely seek forgiveness. He should also resolve not to commit that particular sin again.

But yet again, the real meaning of forgiveness has been blurred with the passage of time. Many feel that by just saying "sorry" to God all is well again. This is in effect a sin in itself because it denigrates the great sacrifice which Christ made for us on the Cross. He did not die so that we casually say sorry without meaning it.

Being human, we are all liable to sin. The devil is always there to tempt us in various ways big or small. The sin of Adam and Eve was not a simple sin of disobedience about eating a forbidden fruit; it was the much more serious sin of wanting to be like God. The sin of defiance against their very Creator.

The devil even tried to tempt Jesus, so we should not be much of a challenge to him.

When temptation comes our way, we should follow Christ's example and pray. Prayer is a sure way to avoid sin at its source.